About the cover photos: Left: Grove Children's Preschoolers enjoy reading centers! Right: El Sierra sixth graders create landforms to investigate how water moves over Earth's surface.

Throughout this publication, you will see the following color-coded dots beside each article. The dots represent which strategic goal the article addresses:

• Focusing on Learning • Connecting the Community • Securing the Future

Have feedback regarding Communicate 58? Click here!

On Monday night, the Board of Education approved the District 58 2023-24 school year calendar. To maximize the summer 2024 construction window, the calendar eliminates some single days off, while maintaining typical break periods in alignment with District 99.

Highlights include:

First Day of School: Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023

Thanksgiving Break: Nov. 22-24, 2023

Winter Break: Dec. 25, 2023-Jan. 5, 2024

Spring Break: March 25-29, 2024

Last Day of School: Friday, May 24 (if no emergency days are used)

View the 2023-24 school year calendar.

It's not too late to buy tickets for this weekend's Harlem Wizards fundraiser event! The event takes place Sunday, Jan. 15 from 6-8 p.m. at Downers Grove South. Doors open at 5 p.m. All proceeds will support the Education Foundation of Downers Grove District 58.

The world-famous Harlem Wizards will take on the mighty Downers Grovetrotters, a basketball team comprising 28 beloved District 58 staff members from every District 58 school! Click here to view the District 58 Downers Grovetrotters roster! Click here to learn more, and visit www.58foundation.org to buy tickets!

Please consider attending the District’s Facility Visioning Sessions! See details below.

Staff Facility Visioning Session: 

Monday, Jan. 30 from 4-5:30 p.m. at O’Neill

Staff RSVP Form

Community Facility Visioning Session: 

Monday, Jan. 30 from 6:30-8 p.m. at O’Neill

Community RSVP Form

If you can attend, please complete the appropriate RSVP form linked above by Tuesday, Jan. 17. Learn more here.

This week, the Board of Education appointed Justin Sisul to District 58's assistant superintendent for personnel position, effective July 1, 2023.

“Interview teams described Mr. Sisul as knowledgeable, dedicated, driven, enthusiastic and positive. Mr. Sisul has successfully led several key initiatives in our District, which the teams also highlighted," said Superintendent Dr. Russell. "We are confident that Mr. Sisul will excel in his new role!”

Mr. Sisul currently serves as District 58's assistant superintendent for curriculum & instruction. Congratulations, Mr. Sisul! Learn more.

District 58 is busy planning for its 2023 Summer School and Extended School Year (ESY) programs!

While details aren't finalized, we wanted to share basic information for families who may want to start making summer plans.

Please know, class locations and topics are still being finalized. More information, including registration, will be shared later this school year.

Summer Program Schedule:

Summer School Session I: Essential Skills

June 12-23, 8:15-11:15 a.m.

This by-invitation-only session will focus on helping students achieve essential grade level skills so they can succeed in school next fall.

Summer School Session II: General Education & Enrichment

June 26-July 13, 8:15-11:15 a.m.

This session will offer math and reading grade-level readiness courses, as well as enrichment classes; topics are still being finalized. 

Summer School Session III: Band and Orchestra

Dates/times coming soon

This session will offer a variety of band and orchestra classes.

Extended School Year:

June 13-July 13, 8:15-11:15 a.m.

This session is open to students who qualify through their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The student’s IEP team will identify targeted goals and specific special education services for the student.

Note: Classes do not meet on June 19 and July 3-4.

If your child has lice or nits, it is important to let your school know and begin treatment quickly!

If there is one confirmed case of lice in school, District 58 will notify families in the affected child's grade.

If there is more than one confirmed case in a school, across multiple grade levels, the District will send an email to the entire school.

Visit the Health Office's Lice page to learn more information and find resources about lice.

This cold-weather season, Communicate 58 will highlight different FAQs from its winter weather procedures guide. Today's FAQ: How does District 58 decide whether to close its school buildings due to weather?

District 58’s superintendent consults with a variety of resources — weather forecasts, neighboring superintendents, the bus company and the District’s Buildings and Grounds teams — to make an informed decision. The decision is based on many factors.

• Building conditions: Do the buildings have power, light and heat?
• Site conditions: Is the parking lot plowed? Can buses get in and turn around? Can parents drop off students? Are the exit doors free of snow?
• Bus operations: Can the bus drivers get to the bus company? Do the buses start? Do the drivers feel comfortable driving?
• Road conditions: Are the roads continually plowed and is traffic moving?
• Air temperature: How cold is it? What is the wind chill? Can children safely walk to school? There are times when schools may need to be closed due to dangerously cold temperatures. In these situations, wind chill is also taken into account, as well as the extent to which the temperatures are sustained throughout the school day. District 58 has collaborated with District 99 and the elementary districts that feed into District 99 to develop consistent standards. We will likely close school based on extremely cold conditions when a wind chill warning is issued by the National Weather Service during the times students are traveling to or from school. A wind chill warning is typically issued when the wind chill will be -25 degrees Fahrenheit or colder or the actual air temperature is -25 degrees Fahrenheit.

If the answer is yes to the first four questions, and if a wind chill warning has not been issued, most likely the decision will be to keep schools open.

Student safety is District 58’s top priority, but the District also understands that closing schools and quickly shifting to an e-learning day or an emergency snow day is inconvenient for students, staff and families. The superintendent will make the decision as soon as safely possible.

Are you or someone you know interested in becoming a substitute teacher? District 58 (and DuPage County) is experiencing a sub shortage. Illinois allows individuals with just 60 college credits to apply for a short-term substitute license, and the Illinois Regional Office of Education (ROE) offers required substitute training. District 58 pays substitute teachers $150/day.

The ROE will host a Short-Term Substitute Teacher Training Session on Tuesday, Jan. 17 from 5-7 p.m. via Zoom. Click here to learn more. Click here to register. Learn more about subbing in District 58.

Herrick students in Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Dvoracek’s Advanced Math classes recently competed in the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ (ICTM) State Math Contest. The students came in eighth place out of the 58 Illinois schools that competed. Congratulations! 

The competition consisted of three two-part timed rounds. Each round had an individual and team component. 

Congratulations to Herrick’s top two teams, which included students Max, Reece, Matthew, Nicole and Phillip (Team 1), and Ezri, Thomas, Nathan, Mike and Cole (Team 2). Congrats also to the top performing individual Herrick students: Brendan, Max, Andrew, Reece (perfect score), Matthew, Nicole, Owen, Lincoln (perfect score), Elijah, Johnny (perfect score) and Zachary (perfect score).

The annual ICTM State Math Contest aims to recognize outstanding mathematical achievement, encourage independent study, stimulate interest in mathematics, and provide a wholesome meeting ground for students and teachers of mathematics through academic competition.

Last month, O'Neill completed Raise Craze, a fundraiser in which students performed acts of kindness for others while raising money for their school. The students exceeded their goals by completing an average of three acts of kindness per student and raised $12,349 (93% of which will directly support their school!).

The students completed a wide variety of acts of kindness, ranging from helping their elderly neighbors with trash/recycling to donating items for the FISH Pantry and PADS to creating paper flowers for staff (pictured). When the school reached their fundraising goal, Principal Matt Durbala and Assistant Principal Bryant Cobo held a fun tricycle race and treated the school to popsicles.

Congrats on a fantastic fundraiser, and thank you for your kindness, O'Neill!

The Board of Education's Jan. 9 regular business meeting featured a Herrick presentation, an Education Foundation spotlight, the 2023-24 calendar approval and more. View the agenda. The Board Briefs will be published later this week.

Looking ahead: The Board will hold a regular business meeting on Monday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at Downers Grove Village Hall and a curriculum workshop on Monday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. at O'Neill.

District 58 partners with many local organizations and individuals to help its families in need. We appreciate and thank all of our partners for their generosity, time and support!

For example, District 58 thanks the Downers Grove Roadrunners Soccer Club for donating more than 600 holiday gifts to 124 District 58 students in need. In addition, we thank St. Joseph Catholic Church for donating holiday gifts to 12 District 58 families -- which included 38 children -- through the church's Giving Tree.

For other examples of community generosity, please view the "In the Community" section of past (and future) Communicate 58 issues!

Pictured: The Roadrunners loaded up their vehicles when delivering holiday gifts to District 58 schools on Dec. 12.

District 58 includes relevant e-flyers in the Communicate 58 newsletter and online. Learn more.

• Support District 58 at the Harlem Wizards fundraiser on Jan. 15!
• Ghostlight Educational Theatre Collective announces its upcoming performances and its spring theatre series for grades K-8
• Glenbard Parent Series shares its upcoming virtual parent education events
• Downers Grove Roadrunners Soccer Club invites the community to "Kickin' Up Some Laughs" on Jan. 19
• Belmont Preschool will hold open houses this month